


The Mess We've Made- Rewrite

by ToWriteFanfictionOnHerLaptop



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Party, Rewrite, so much drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 01:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5563498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToWriteFanfictionOnHerLaptop/pseuds/ToWriteFanfictionOnHerLaptop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo was good at fixing things and well, that was his life. Whether it was tweaking the engine or just tinkering with a few nuts and bolts, his hands were always at work. Many People thought that Nico was unfixable but not Leo. A rewrite of The Mess We've Made with pretty much the same plot BUT CONSIDERABLY LESS SHIT.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1- Lost Boy

Nico P.O.V   
It always seems like all I ever do is wander around but honestly, what else could I do. I didn’t have any jobs to do, everyone else had already settled into their own routine of cleaning, guarding and sleeping. I joined their lives far too late to wholly become apart of it. It felt like I wasn’t wanted even though they all did their best to include me. But, I couldn’t help feeling as though i was undeserving of their kindness and so, I hid myself away. I couldn’t bear getting close to anyone, not after Bianca. Therefore, I wandered around, seeing if anyone needed help, trying to do something mildly productive to stop me from losing my sanity once again. 

Of course, while on my daily rounds past my friends’ cabins, I always passed Leo’s room. Oh Leo. He was what caused my attempts at preventing any sort of relationship to break down. The first time I saw him, my heart fluttered. That bright smile gave me butterflies, his hair, his eyes, there was something about him that made me feel… light. He made me feel like i could fly, as though I could burst into flames everytime his shoulder accidentally brushed mine. Usually, the door was shut like the rest of the doors of the corridor but to my surprise, the door was ever so slightly ajar and a faint ribbon of light laid itself across the dark, wooden flooring, Curiosity got the better of me and I peered inside. 

Leo’s room was darker than I thought for a boy who seemed to be so bright. His curtains were drawn and the only light came from a lamp in the corner of the room on a workbench where a figure happened to be sitting, hunched over. The light caught on the figure’s hair and gave off a shadow of a curl that could only belong to Leo. Of course it was Leo. My eyes tracked his form. His head rested in his hands, his chest rising and lowering heavily but at a slow rate, as though he were constantly sighing. Out of the silence, there came a mutter, quick and angry with words I didn’t understand.  
“Spanish, of course.” I whispered before realising my mistake. 

I became aware that Leo would know of my presence and so, I turned away from the door in an attempt to hide from Leo’s gaze. My heart beat faster than it ever had before, a mix of anxiety and apprehension. What if he knew I was there? He would never look at me the same way again. MY thinking was interrupted with a shout from Leo’s room and I once again turned to look.   
“ Why don’t you just-Oh give me a break! Just fit together you pieces of shit.” Leo grumbled in annoyance.

His anger was almost amusing for a second until Leo pushed himself away from the workbench, screws in hand and hurled them across the room where they landed against the wall with a clatter. Furious, Leo then stomped back over to his workbench and kicked it with such aggression that I’d never seen from him. He slumped back into his chair and once again placed him head in his hands, a sniffle came from his nose as though he were about to cry. 

“Why?” he said, his voice cracking, “Why can’t I do anything fuckin right? Fuck, i’m so worthless.”

My heart broke seeing him like this. He did so much good, brought a smile to so many faces so why did he think this of himself. I mean, we wouldn't even be here if it weren’ for him. The ship would have broken down without him and i wouldn’t be here with a feeling of bravery stirring in my stomach as I dared to open the door a little more and step inside a little.   
“Leo? I said uttered into the darkness.

Leo, hearing this, suddenly stood to attention and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

“Oh, Hi Nico.” Leo exclaimed with a false smile on his face and a hand behind his neck. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard what you said.”

“Nico I-”

“No, you listen here, none of us would be here it it weren’t for you. You are worth so much more than you give yourself credit for, ask anyone! You- You made me feel human when I felt nothing at all. How dare you say that you can’t do anything right. I would give everything I have to make you feel considerably less shit.”

“Nico.”

“Please just, don’t” I felt the words bubble up my throat as I backed out of Leo’s room and ran down the hall, afraid of what I had and said and what I would say.


	2. Chapter 2- Stressed Out

Leo P.O.V 

Let’s just say that I wasn’t having the best of days and stress didn’t even come close to that high strung annoyance that was such a headache for me- and what literally gave me a headache. The curtains closed and fresh air seeping in through the ajar door served as protection against a migraine. I could only hope it worked. Any clear thinking seemed to be clouded by this god-damned headache. Inventor’s block I called it.

Inventor's Block 

Noun

The condition in which NOTHING YOU DO EVER SEEMS TO WORK LIKE IT’S LITERALLY A FUCKING SCREW AND IT WON’T FIT IN A HOLE PREMADE FOR THIS SIZE SCREW AND WHAT???    

This would never have happened to my Mom. She had a way with this sort of thing, always able to pull herself out of any kind of rut. I could still almost smell the motor oil on her as she kissed my cheek. I could feel her hair in my hands and the rough fabric of her bandanna. Still see her smile and hear the song she used to sing to me when I was tucked up in bed, my belly full and I was safe and warm. Now, I’m just stressed out. 

I began muttering, just like she did, trying to figure out some reason why I had to be wrong this time, or maybe it was the tools that were against me. Then I heard it. Nothing more than a whisper, a breath of a word being spoken at my door. I turned to find the door how i had left it. A slight chill crept into the room as I returned to my work. Maybe Nico was wondering around again. Oh Nico. There was something about that boy that I found… Compelling. The way he moved had that edge of mystery about it, as if he could disappear into the shadows. I’d tried my best to include him, make him feel welcome. I knew what it felt like to be moved from place to place, never really fitting in, never feeling wanted. He was the last person I wanted to feel like that. 

That was it. A son of  Hephaestus struggling with the most basic of metalwork. Laughable, an embarrassment. 

“Why don’t you just-Oh give me a break! Just fit together you pieces of shit.” I grumbled in annoyance. 

Tears pricked my eyes and in a flash of anger, I pushed myself away from the workbench, pathetic excuse of work in hand and hurled them across the room. They fell to the ground with a clatter, leaving small, black singe marks on the wooden wall from the heat. Breathing heavily, I stormed back to the workbench, kicked the chair back and fell into it. My head fell into my hands and I let the sadness overcome me.  

“Why?”I said, my voice cracking from the tears, from the stress, from all the pressure, “Why can’t I do anything fuckin right? Fuck, i’m so worthless.”

I heard that voice again, small and curious coming from the door

“Leo?” it questioned.

I stood to attention, hurriedly wiping my eyes with my sleeve.

“Oh, Hi Nico.” I was surprised to see him here. IT dawned on he that he couldn’t see me like this, the smiling face he knew with tear marks down his cheeks. I smiled the best I could and placed a hand behind my neck to do that cool, laid back thing that Percy was good at.  “What are you doing here?”

“I heard what you said.”

Fuck. Quick say something.

“Nico I-” 

“No, you listen here, none of us would be here it it weren’t for you. You are worth so much more than you give yourself credit for, ask anyone! You- You made me feel human when I felt nothing at all. How dare you say that you can’t do anything right. I would give everything I have to make you feel considerably less shit.”

I’d made him feel human? He made me feel useful. Something other than just someone who fixes the engines. 

“Nico.”

“Please just, don’t” He said as he backed out of my room slowly and then ran down the hall. 

“Nico, wait come back.” I felt a need to go after him, tell him everything i’d needed to say in so long. 

I caught up with him and placed a hand carefully on his shoulder. Nico turned to face me and in the light, he didn’t look so dark anymore, The amber light broke through his hair and gave him a glow like i’d never seen. Not human but more than that as if he used nectar like water to wash himself. 

“Did you really mean that? All this things you said?” I said doubtfully

“Well if I didn’t, why would I say them?” Nico sighed, “You just made me feel so alive and I- Nobody has ever done that for me before. I just-”

“No, I know what you mean.”

“I also have a small confession to make”

“Oh, and what’s that?” I said, surprised.

“I may or may not have a little and at the same time huge crush on you, but it’s nothing really.”

I leaned forwards and pressed a kiss to Nico’s cold cheek. 

“How about, we talk about it after we have a little date. Meet me on the deck at midnight.” I said with a wink. I strolled back to my cabin well aware that I had probably either made Nico’s day or ruined his life. 


	3. Chapter 3- Let Him Go

Nico P.O.V

I stood there, 

Nico stood there barely being able to breathe. Leo Valdez- THE Leo Valdez had just asked me out on a date. I’d never been on a date. What would I wear? What would I say? Oh gods, basically I was fucked. 

“Nico?” I heard a soft voice, sweet as honey.

“Oh hi Piper. Piper! I need you’re help with something. It’s really important.”

For a moment, her hand moved to the dagger at her side, a reflex, always prepared for danger.

“What is it”

“I have a date.”

Piper raised an eyebrow.

“ I have a date, like a date date. With Leo.”

She laughed for a moment, “You’re nervous, aren’t you.”

“Well, no shit Pipes. Nearly everything I do, I fuck up to some degree. Look, I really like Leo and I just want one thing to go right for just one time in my life. I’ve never done this before- the dating thing- and I don’t want it to be a mistake.”

Piper nodded and grabbed my hand to drag me off to her room.

“Okay so listen here, the only advice I can really give you is be yourself. Leo asked you out for a reason Nico, and the moment you start pretending to be someone you’re not, that’s when things go wrong.”

She looked me up and down.

“No offense, but we may need to switch it up with the outfit. I know Leo and he will probably go all out, suspenders and everything. Let me see,”

Piper turned quickly and threw open her wardrobe. An expanse of colour and clothes became visible, a rainbow of life contained within such a small space. After a small while of rifling, Piper produced a black dinner shirt and a much fresher pair of converse to the ones I had on.

“I suppose these will fit you. Also, roll up the sleeves on that shirt, it will make you look so much better.”

And with that, she sent me on my way to change. The fabric of the shirt rubbed against my arms as I walked to the bathroom to change, hoping I could avoid the glances of the others. 

I waited and I waited for midnight to come around and soon enough, I found myself on the deck, staring at the bright moon shining against a backdrop of black. I could feel the cold wind brush against my bare forearms and I held the rough surface of walls of the ship, staring out into the distance of open air, below us a mass of ocean. 

I heard quiet footsteps in the distance and then I saw him. Decked out in suspenders, just like piper said he would, there he was, the moonlight combed through those curls of his and his brown eyes seemed to be made of the night sky and burnt up fires and forests.  Flecks of star dust and ash and wood all together, that gave off such a warmth I felt as though I were bathing in sunlight itself. I gave him a small smile and he began to walk over to my side. We stood there together, both feeling a little less alone in this universe that didn’t care about us. Leo’s hand rested on top of mine and I swear this was what it was like in the movies.

“You look nice.” Leo whispered into the night

“As do you.” and I squeezed his hand just a little.

I heard a cough behind me and we both turned to see what the noise was.

“Was I interrupting something?” Said Percy

I moved my hand away from Leo’s and took a small step away from him. 

“Oh, nothing. I just couldn’t sleep.” I said shakily. This is what I was worried about, the thing that would go wrong. The thing that would ruin something so good. 

“Nico, what’s going on?” Leo said, just as confused as Percy

“I don’t want to ruin the night or what just happened.”

“Nico, please just tell me.” Leo pleaded.

I took a shaky breath,

“I used to like Percy and it never really went away but I swear Leo, I can’t stop thinking about you,”

“But it never really went away?”

“Well, I guess not, but it kind of has, but-”

Leo put a hand up, “Save it, please.”

“But Leo?”

“I said! Save it. I’ll… see you later Nico.”

Leo barged his way past Percy and disappeared below the deck

I ran towards him but Percy put his arm in the way.

“Let him go Nico.”

“I can’t” I whispered, tears pricking my eyes. 

I pushed Percy away and ran to Leo’s room. The door was already locked.

“Leo?”

“Not now Nico.” was his only reply.

So I waited, I waited a week, everyday trying to get him to talk. The only time I ever saw him was mealtimes and even then, he would refuse to speak and left curtly. I missed him, I could feel my bones ache, my skin grow cold without his warm smile, without those eyes of his that I could drown in. I needed to speak with him, I needed to say all the things that i’d been writing on scraps of paper for weeks, trying to get over whatever I felt, but he stuck to be like i’d never known.

“Leo?”

The only reply was silence. 

“Okay Leo, I know you may not want to hear any of this right now, but I have to tell you before it's too late. I never knew how much I needed you until you went away. I miss your warmth , your smile, the way you laugh and the little crinkles around your eyes. I miss the way you look when you’re worried and how you make me feel. I need you. I need your light and how you make me forget. I’ve been trying to sleep but all I can dream about is you. I don’t know why. I don’t love you, not yet, but believe me, i will. And when I do, you will never have known love like it. All I want to do is hug you, touch you, kiss you but all I want right now is to see you. Please Leo, open up and let me see those eyes of yours. those eyes that are made of the stars. Let me see your smile that is like the sun to my sky. Please, show me what it's like to love again. I need you Leo, please say something.”

I heard the door handle turn against the wooden door frame and he emerged from his room.   I ran into his arms and buried by face into his neck, happy to smell the motor oil and cheap shampoo that made Leo smell like Leo.

“I’m sorry, oh god i’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He said, placing a hand on my hair

And it was in that moment that I swore, I began to understand everything. This was what falling in love felt like. 


End file.
